A politically connected former prosecutor and public defender who has done extensive civil rights work in San Francisco's Asian American community was chosen Tuesday over another progressive Asian American civil rights leader to serve on the city's Police Commission. The Board of Supervisors' vote split allies and led to some strange bedfellows.

After nearly an hour of debate, the board appointed attorney Victor Hwang to the commission that sets Police Department policy and conducts disciplinary hearings. Hwang will replace Angela Chan, an outspoken supporter of immigrant rights and increased mental health training for police officers, who has served on the commission for four years. She had staunch support among the city's progressive community.

Hwang agrees with Chan on most controversial issues and started his San Francisco career at the same civil rights nonprofit where she still works. He defeated her after heavy lobbying on both sides.

Four of the board's most liberal members voted against an initial motion to remove Chan from the running and replace her with Hwang, who has served as both a public defender and prosecutor in San Francisco, co-chaired the Run, Ed, Run committee that set the stage for Mayor Ed Lee's election, and has three children with his partner, Ivy Lee, who is one of Supervisor Jane Kim's aides.

But Hwang's appointment seemed largely to come down to personal relationships. Supervisor David Chiu, who is running against Supervisor David Campos for a seat in the Assembly, said he was voting for Hwang because he has personally witnessed his good work over more than a decade. Campos, whom Pak is backing in the Assembly run, said he was supporting Chan because he has been impressed by her work on the commission.

Difficult to work with

Hwang's backers on the board, including Kim, repeatedly said Hwang - with more than two decades of legal experience - is eminently qualified. Privately, some supervisors said Chan was difficult to work with, but publicly, they all praised her work ethic and commitment.

"We are lucky to have such strong candidates - it's good for the public, but it's a difficult decision," said Supervisor Katy Tang. "It is because of Victor's extensive criminal justice and civil rights experience that I'd like to ask the full board to consider his appointment to the commission. ... I believe he is the very best candidate to serve on the body."

Chan's backers, however, said that their colleagues were breaking with tradition by ousting a hardworking incumbent whose only fault was being pitted against Hwang. Supervisor Eric Mar called it a "sad day for the immigrants rights movement and gender justice in the city," while Supervisor John Avalos said the mayor could solve the problem by appointing Hwang to the other open seat on the commission.

Better qualified

Hwang insisted that he applied for the position not to oust Chan, but because he believed he is better qualified. He said he plans to act as a "conduit for community concerns" as a police commissioner, and that he is not coming in with a specific agenda. Accusations by Chan supporters that Pak orchestrated his appointment or that it was all about City Hall politics were overblown, he said.

"I don't have a particular beef with her," he said of Chan. "I heard from a lot of people that in some way, they're supporting me because they had run-ins with Angela, but that's not why I'm doing it. ... I think I'm the best applicant."

Chan said she wanted to stay on the commission because "there's important work I need to finish." In her tenure, she pushed for better officer training in working with people with mental illness. She worked for using force less and mental health services for officers involved in tragic incidents. She is nationally known for her advocacy against immigration laws.

'Do my absolute best'

"I work hard and I take this responsibility very seriously," she said. "I do my absolute best to represent our diverse communities, especially the ones who are underserved, and also to represent and be responsive to the needs of police officers."

After the vote, as dozens of her supporters wearing pink "Support Angela Chan" stickers gathered in a circle outside chambers, she spoke more bluntly.

"I got kicked off the commission because I spoke my mind," she said. "Nobody could control me. I voted how I wanted. That's why.